ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance has expressed its displeasure over the finance minister’s absence despite the promise of a briefing on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

Soon after the committee meeting started proceeding, the Chairman of the Committee, Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh, said that the meeting of the committee was put off for over two weeks after the finance minister said that he along with the other officials of the Finance Ministry was engaged in discussion with the IMF team and promised that he would himself give a briefing to the committee with regard to the Fund programme.

The chairman of the committee and members expressed their displeasure over the finance minister’s absence from the meeting. The finance minister had requested to adjourn the meeting of the committee two weeks ago to give a briefing on important economic issues including negotiations with the IMF. However, he did not turn up which was regrettable.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023